A $539 million budget for the Metropolitan Police Department received preliminary approval Monday morning.

Ramona Denby-Brinson is the 2015 recipient of the Harry Reid Silver State Research Award. She’s the first woman to receive that recognition.

About 100 miles east of Los Angeles, Palm Springs, with its cloudless skies, bright sunshine and warm temperatures, was the desert playground of golden-era Hollywood.

A two-year slide in gold and quieter casino tables have opened a $170 million hole in Nevada’s budget even as its economy booms, pushing Governor Brian Sandoval to rethink dependence on mining and gambling.